Automatically threading shuttle



Nov. 28, 1961 R. F. PARKS 3,010,436

AUTOMATICALLY THREADING SHUTTLE Filed Sept. 30, 1960 INVENTOR. ROBERT E PARKS ATTORNEY r w m I 1 United States Patent 3,010,486 AUTOMATICALLY THREADING SHUTTLE Robert F. Parks, Greenville, S.C., assignor, by mesne assignments, to West Point Manufacturing Company, a corporation of Georgia Filed Sept. 30, 1960, Ser. No. 59,589 8 Claims. (Cl. 139-223) a This invention relates to loom shuttles of the type which thread automatically and especially to an improved shuttle eye.

A shuttle of the automatically threading type, with means for preventing unthreading of the shuttle, having structure for sheding ties of all type as well as all configurations of yarn resulting from throw throughs has long been sought. In eyes of known construction having traps that prevent the eye from becoming unthreaded on a throw throng upon the occurrence of what is known as a full tie, the yarn usually breaks because in this condition the yarn is wrapped entirely around the shuttle eye and there is no way of consistently shedding the resulting loop without breaking the yarn. On a throw through in most shuttles of the automatically threading type it is common for the shuttle to become unthreaded so that the yarn breaks on the next pick of the loom. This is true especially in connection with shuttle eyes having downwardly inclined horns because the loop which is formed around the horn resulting from the yarn coming out of the threading channel and out from under the bill tends to fall 011 of the horn so that the shuttle becomes thus unthreaded. No shuttle, cap- 7 able of remaining threaded on the occurrence of a throw through, has ever been constructed which is capable of also rethreading consistently upon occurrence of full ties. Attempts to solve these problems with various projections positioned within the shuttle eye have met with some advantageous results but none have satis factorily solved the problems. In many cases the resulting eyes have become so complicated that considerable machining must be done in order to form these proections.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a shuttle having structure making it possible for the shuttle to rethread properly in the event of any of the usually occurring yarn conditions which result from throw throughs and ties.

An important object of this invention is to provide a shuttle eye of the automaticallylthreading type which upon the occurrence of any tie or throw through will not become entirely unthreaded and which will rethread properly.

Another important object of this invention is to provide a shuttle of such configuration that the shuttle will shed a full tieas well as a throw through. V

Another object of'the invention is to provide a shuttle .eye of the type which will not become unthreaded upon the occurrence of a throw through or any of the usual improper configurations of the yarn occurring during the weaving operation and exert control over. the yarn at alltimes. 1 i

Another object of the invention is. to provide, a shuttle eye havingthe above advantages which maybe cast 'in a mold havinga single parting line requiring no cores ,or inserts and a minimum of machining. 1.1 I Stillanother object of the invention is toprovide .a shuttle having the above advantages which provideswear resistant surfaces at the point of greatestdeflectionof beused. V

Yet'another object of the invention is to provide a shuttle eye having the above advantages which may be used with any conventional type of yarn outlet.

The construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafter described, together with other features thereof.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specification and by reference to the accompanying drawing forming a part thereof, wherein an example of the invention is shown and wherein: 1

FIGURE 1 is a plan view illustrating a shuttle constructed in accordance with the present invention,

FIGURE-2 is a side elevation further illustrating the structure shown in FIGURE 1 looking toward the yarn delivery side of the shuttle,

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation of a shuttle eye as illustrated in FIGURES l and 2 looking toward the side of the eye adjacent the yarn channel,

FIGURE 4 is a rear elevation of the eye illustrated in FIGURES l, 2 and 3,

. FIGURE 5 is a front elevation of the eye illustrated in FIGURES l, 2, 3 and 4,

FIGURE 6 is a side elevation, similar to FIGURE 3, illustrating a modified form of the invention,

FIGURE 7 is a front elevation of the shuttle eye illustrated in FIGURE 6,

FIGURE 8 is a side elevation, similar to FIGURE 6, illustrating a modified form of the invention, and

FIGURE 9 isa plan view, similar to FIGURE 1, illustrating a modified form of the invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, a shuttle is illlustrated including a shuttle eye having a block and a bill A; A downward projection is carried by the bill intermediate the forward end of the bill and the forward end of the yarn channel having an abutment B formed by a substantially vertical surface and an arcuate surface'extending laterally from the lower portion of said vertical surface for confining the yarn thereunder. The arcuate surface extends laterally to form the lower portion of a substantially horizontal horn C defining a substantially horizontal thread trap D between the horn and the yarn channel. All of the projections thus described diminish in cross section toward their termini so that all contours are based on a diminishing cross section tending to cause the yarn to slide down the tapered surfaces to go in the proper direction for maintaining the yarn in proper position and to shed any of theusual improper configurations of yarn occurring during weaving.

Referring more particularly to FIGURES l and 2, a shuttle ofthe automatically threading type is illustrated at 10. A bobbin or quill 11 carrying a weft supply is shown disposed within the usual bobbin cavity 12. A cavity 13 is provided within the shuttle for accommodating a threading block 14 therein. The threading block 14 is securely positioned within the; cavity 13 as by the bolt 15 which passes through an aperture 15a within the threading block. A yarn guide 16 is cut into the shuttle to serve as a guide for threading the'yarn during threadmg. I

The threading block 14'carries integrally therewith a scroll 17 extending downwardly from the rear portion 18 of thescroll. The rear portion 18 of the scroll is an arcuate surface whereby the yarn may slide over same with somedifiiculty at first and then easily over the top thereof. The complementary side 17a together with the scroll 17 form a yarn channel in the form of what is usually referred to in. connection with scrolls as a yarn tunnel 19 (FIGURES 4 and 5) so that the yarn is positively controlled during threading. Theyarn channel is preferably formed by a scroll of the type described because 'of the 'positive' control: exertedthereby on the a 3 yarn, but it is possible that other types of yarn channels may be used. Y

The wing portion 20 of the threading block, integral with'the scroll- 17, serves as a guidefor the yarn as it passes over the scroll 17 between the scroll 17 and the side 17a and onto and over the bill A in threading; Preferably the bill A extends at least partially across the yarn channel. The yarnthen passes into the yarn tunnel 19 and under the horn C over the pin 21 from whence the yarn is delivered from a suitable delivery meanssuch as theoutlet-U 2 2. It will be noted that the upper horn surfaces 25 and 26 are concave while the lower horn surfaces 24 and 24a are convex andfurther that the forward surface inclines slightly toward the rear, facilitating such movement of the yarn. The downward projection B carried by the bill A has a substantially vertical surface 23 and an arcuatesurface'24 extending laterally from the lower portion of said vertical surface to confine the yarn 5) even if the yarn comes out of the outlet-U 22. This is because it has been found in practice thatmakin'g it easy for the yarn to move such as down the vertical surface 23 and then making it diificult to move as against the downwardly and laterally projecting surface 24 prevents the yarn from coming out from under the horn during weaving. It is thought that this occurs because some energy of the yarn is expended over the easy part of the fall of the yarn. Attempts to prevent yarn from coming out from under the horn by the use of vertical projections or appreciably raising the projections B adversely afiect's' the ability of the eye to shed the fullftie.

The horn C has an arcuate dished out top surface 25 which extends preferably slightly upwardly as at 26 so that the horn C is (substantially horizontal. The-yarn normally passes downwardly over this surface ZS when threading. The surface 25 joins the bill A forming the usual book like surface under the bill to prevent the yarn from coming out from under. the bill.

It will'be noted in FIGURE 1' that a kind of throw through is illustrated by the yarn shown in broken lines at T in which a loop passes around the horn C. It is important that the horn be of diminishing cross-sectional area and that the upper surface be substantially horizontal or preferably project slightly upwardly fromthe horizontal in such a way that the loop thus formed will not fall on the horn C thus unthreading the shuttle. A full tie is illustrated by the solid line Y and it will be noted that the'yarnis wrapped around the rear of the scroll and passes under thehorn C twice. This is the most troublesome type of yarn configuration occurring in Weavingfbut the loops resulting therefrom are easily shed beeause'of the configuration of the scroll,,bill and horn, all being of diminishing cross-sectional area as described above. 7 j 7 Now with reference to FIGURES 6 "and 7, a rno'difie'd form of the invention is illustrated in which likereference characters are u'se d' with prime notations added. It will be noted that the pin '21" is similar to the pin 21 'as previously described. Thisis to minimize the'contact of the yarn being delivered with the inner portion of the yarn trap D reducing wear. The threading block 14' has been A portion of the metal has been removed from the rear of the threading block 14"'as at 29. This results in removal of a portion of the metal from the side 17a" and from the rear of the scroll 18" reducing the length of the eye. The pin 21" is inclined as shown in FIG- URES 6 and 7 and metal has been removed also'from the inner portion of the bill A":as illustrated in FIG- URES 6 and 7. The horn C" and the yarn trap D" together with the remaining portions of the eye are not altered.

In the modification illustrated in FIGURE 9, in which like parts are designated with like, reference characters with triple prime notations added, shows the addition of a portion of metal for covering one of the pins of a deliverey outlet30. This metal 31 is an extension of the wing 20". It will be noted that metal is also removed from the side 17a": This is also true of the corresponding portions described above in connection with FIG- URES 6, 7 and, 8. The pin 21" is inclined as shown in FIGURES 6, 7 and 8. The bill A""and the from C' together with the thread trap D' and remaining parts are unchanged. 7

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been described using specific-terms, such description is for illustrative purposes only, and it is to be understood that changes and variations may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is: V x V 1. In a shuttle eye having a block and a longitudinal yarn channel in an intermediate portion of the block, the improvement including, a bill extending forwardly of the yarn channel and projecting laterally at least partially across the yarn channel, and .a horn having an ever diminishing cross-section toward its terminus carried by the bill projecting downwardly and thence laterally sub.- stantially horizontally and rearwardly' beyond the bill forming a substantially horizontalithread trap. between the horn and the thread channel, whereby a tie may be shed from the horn'and, whereby a throw through loop will not fall olf the horn thus unthreading the shuttle. V 2. In a shuttle eye having a block,,a yarn channel car.- ried by the block and. a bill extending forwardly of the v yarn channel, the improvement .including, a horn carried modified by the removal of metal from-the side 1711' as at 27 and withthe removal of additional metal as at 2 7a from the inner portion of the bill A. Metal has been added asat 28 under the wing 20'. This is-toprovide-a configuration making it po'ssibleto cast-'tliefeye and reduce machining. The present eye, which is preferably con- 'structed of metal, is cast in aimold having a single parting linev with no cores or inserts.- Thefdownwar'd projection B andthe horn C are'unchan ged. I Y

Now especially fwith reference to FIGURES, another modifiedforrn of theinvention is illustrated inLWhich double prime notations are used to designate like pa'rts.

by the bill intermediate the forward end of the bill and the forward end of the yarn channel, said horn having arcuate upper and lower surfaces so that the cross-sectional area of the horn always diminishes toward its terminus, said horn being disposed substantially horizontally of and projecting inwardly of the block. a 1

3. In a shuttle eye having a block and a longitudinal yarn channel in an intermediate portion of'the block, the improvement including, a bill extending forwardly of the yarn channel and projecting laterally at least parti-al-ly across the yarn chanel, a downward projection carried by the bill intermediate the forward end of the bill and the forward end of the yarn channel, a substantially vertical longitudinal surface carried by the downward projection on the side of the channel remote from the forward end of the bill, and an arcuate portion extending inwardly laterally from the lower portion of the downward projection forming therewith a substantially horizontal horn of everdiminishing-cross section toward its terminus confining the yarn thereunder; 1 a

.4. In a" shuttle'eye having a block, a yarn channel carried by the block and a bill extending forwardly of the yarn channel, the improvement including, a downward projection integral with said bill intermediate the forward end of the bill and the forward end of the yarn channel, .an 'ab'utment formed by a substantially vertical longitudinal surface carried by the downward projection, an arcuatelaterally extending portion projecting inwardly fron'rthe lower-portion of said substantially verticai longitudinal surface forming therewith a substantially 'horizon tal horn of ever diminishing cross-section toward its terminus projecting slightly rearwardly;

5 In an automatically threading shuttle, an eye including, a block, an arcuate scroll carried integrally with the rear of the block, a bill projecting forwardly of the scroll, a side carried by the block opposite the scroll forming a thread tunnel, and a substantially horizontal horn of ever diminishing cross-section toward its terminus extending from said bill intermediate the forward end of the yarn tunnel and the forward end of the bill downwardly therefrom and laterally across the yarn tunnel, said horn having a substantially convex lower portion and a substantially concave upper portion.

6. In a shuttle eye having a block with a yarn channel, the improvement including, a bill, a substantially horizontal horn of ever diminishing cross-section toward its terminus carried by and extending below the bill, and a substantially horizontal yarn trap defined by said horn in front of yarn channel.

7. In an automatically threading shuttle, an eye including, a block, a yarn channel formed in the block, a

bill projecting forwardly of the yarn channel, a sub- 20 stantially horizontal horn of ever diminishing crosssection toward its terminus carried by the bill and extending rearwardly, and a substantially horizontal yarn trap defined by said horn in front of the yarn channel.

8. In a shuttle eye having a block and a longitudinal yarn channel in an intermediate portion of the block, the improvement including, a bill extending forwardly of the yarn channel and projecting laterally at least partially across the yarn channel, a downward projection carried by the bill intermediate the forward end of the bill and the forward end of the yarn channel, a substantially vertical longitudinal surface carried by the downward projection on the side of the channel remote from the forward end of the bill, and a portion extending inwardly laterally from the lower portion of the downward projection forming therewith a horn of ever diminishing cross-section toward its terminus, whereby a tie may be shed from the horn and, whereby unthreading of the shuttle eye from the front is avoided.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

